Mabman
E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Product Image:
Product name: Archer D1X (Gen 2)
Price paid: $429usd
Score (out of 10): 8
Review: I have been holding off on electronic shifting as it was too spendy for the way my M620 bike goes through cassettes and chains and well I'm cheap so there is that. But the introduction of the SRAM T-Type transmission and how durable it seems to be and the reviews it is getting set me off in search of a bike that would meet my particular requirements that had a UDH and I was all but ready to throw down if I found something.
Then I woke up the next day and had second thoughts but couldn't get the electronic shift thing out of my mind. My bike has shifted for shite since the day I bought it. I blame the full length cable housing and the friction it adds to the cable for this. BITD if you remember the cable stops that would interrupt the housing and that would reduce friction. Not possible with internal cable routing however. I am no stranger to setting up a shifter as I have been doing it for over 40 yrs btw. Part of the problem is as I said above i'm cheap and the lower grade components I use don't help any I'm sure.
I had seen the Archer Components electronic shifter out of the corner of my eye since it was introduced but for some reason was never really attracted to it. But in revisiting it via YouTube testimonials and seeing that they had made some improvements like a rechargeable battery instead of the AA types and a less clunky shifter and it's ability to work with any derailleur/cassette combo in any speed and relatively inexpensive considering a cassette can cost that much these days I ordered one online.
Shipping to OR was fast and I got it in a few days and I see they ship internationally also. However my bike was down but I still played around with it some and frankly couldn't get it to perform. I am really bad at reading/following directions due to a mild case of ADD and old manism so I ended up getting frustrated that it wasn't doing what I thought it should. Turns out that it was a simple thing that I was missing in that when setting it up the App shows a screen as seen above and the part I was missing was the text below it.
You need to first adjust the double arrow for larger movements and the single arrow for smaller increments to align the jockey wheel with the smallest sprocket. This is all done via the app btw the shifter comes in later after the parameters are set. Then you hit the gear up button and mess with the arrow(s) until that is working good and you will see the number value rise as well as you go along but it really doesn't mean much I found it is enough to adjust until the chain is not making any noise on the sprocket. You continue this all the way up the range and then check back down. I went up and down a few times to make sure it was working for good measure.
Next you take the paddle shifter that you have attached to your bars somewhere close to where you think it works for you and there is a button in the back that you press and that will shut off the system and when it all turns back on Voila! You are paired. Easy peasy and it will stay that way and not be interfered with by anybody else's Archer. The on button also has a fine tune feature that if you are on the trail and it gets a little wonky in a gear you can hold it for a sec and it will adjust itself. Pretty slick. Upon my first ride around the paddle would shift up on the downside of the paddle and vice versa which I found not to my taste but in the settings you can have the other way and that, at least for me, felt more natural. After riding some finish tightening everything down and you are good to go.
If all goes south, say you forget to recharge one or both, they have a little light that indicates a lowering battery on both, the two components which I can't say at this early date how long they will last and be keeping an eye on their charges. In the settings there is an option for a get home gear that you can set so that the derailleur will go there and stay. I set mine in the lowest gear cause my bike is a pig.
Ride impressions are very positive. As I mentioned my particular bike has always shifted badly and the Archer really doesn't. Shifts up and down are crisp and precise. There are some options for it to be able to shift multiple gears but I haven't gone there yet. While installing it I did put on a new cassette and chain so I'll see how it goes as things start to get worn but I think the fine adjustment ability will hopefully take care of that. At any time you can get into the App, however with the shifter off, and tune it from there also.
Archer is a small company with a big product I feel and would recommend it to my riding buddies and in fact will. I bought this with my own money and as well snapped up the one that a nice fellow south of me said he had to sell. It is the Gen 1 and has the AA style batteries and their first shifter but for the price I will find one of my bottom feeding bike buddies that will take if off my hands.
If i run into any snags I will report back but in the short term I am one happy shifter.
Product name: Archer D1X (Gen 2)
Price paid: $429usd
Score (out of 10): 8
Review: I have been holding off on electronic shifting as it was too spendy for the way my M620 bike goes through cassettes and chains and well I'm cheap so there is that. But the introduction of the SRAM T-Type transmission and how durable it seems to be and the reviews it is getting set me off in search of a bike that would meet my particular requirements that had a UDH and I was all but ready to throw down if I found something.
Then I woke up the next day and had second thoughts but couldn't get the electronic shift thing out of my mind. My bike has shifted for shite since the day I bought it. I blame the full length cable housing and the friction it adds to the cable for this. BITD if you remember the cable stops that would interrupt the housing and that would reduce friction. Not possible with internal cable routing however. I am no stranger to setting up a shifter as I have been doing it for over 40 yrs btw. Part of the problem is as I said above i'm cheap and the lower grade components I use don't help any I'm sure.
I had seen the Archer Components electronic shifter out of the corner of my eye since it was introduced but for some reason was never really attracted to it. But in revisiting it via YouTube testimonials and seeing that they had made some improvements like a rechargeable battery instead of the AA types and a less clunky shifter and it's ability to work with any derailleur/cassette combo in any speed and relatively inexpensive considering a cassette can cost that much these days I ordered one online.
Shipping to OR was fast and I got it in a few days and I see they ship internationally also. However my bike was down but I still played around with it some and frankly couldn't get it to perform. I am really bad at reading/following directions due to a mild case of ADD and old manism so I ended up getting frustrated that it wasn't doing what I thought it should. Turns out that it was a simple thing that I was missing in that when setting it up the App shows a screen as seen above and the part I was missing was the text below it.
You need to first adjust the double arrow for larger movements and the single arrow for smaller increments to align the jockey wheel with the smallest sprocket. This is all done via the app btw the shifter comes in later after the parameters are set. Then you hit the gear up button and mess with the arrow(s) until that is working good and you will see the number value rise as well as you go along but it really doesn't mean much I found it is enough to adjust until the chain is not making any noise on the sprocket. You continue this all the way up the range and then check back down. I went up and down a few times to make sure it was working for good measure.
Next you take the paddle shifter that you have attached to your bars somewhere close to where you think it works for you and there is a button in the back that you press and that will shut off the system and when it all turns back on Voila! You are paired. Easy peasy and it will stay that way and not be interfered with by anybody else's Archer. The on button also has a fine tune feature that if you are on the trail and it gets a little wonky in a gear you can hold it for a sec and it will adjust itself. Pretty slick. Upon my first ride around the paddle would shift up on the downside of the paddle and vice versa which I found not to my taste but in the settings you can have the other way and that, at least for me, felt more natural. After riding some finish tightening everything down and you are good to go.
If all goes south, say you forget to recharge one or both, they have a little light that indicates a lowering battery on both, the two components which I can't say at this early date how long they will last and be keeping an eye on their charges. In the settings there is an option for a get home gear that you can set so that the derailleur will go there and stay. I set mine in the lowest gear cause my bike is a pig.
Ride impressions are very positive. As I mentioned my particular bike has always shifted badly and the Archer really doesn't. Shifts up and down are crisp and precise. There are some options for it to be able to shift multiple gears but I haven't gone there yet. While installing it I did put on a new cassette and chain so I'll see how it goes as things start to get worn but I think the fine adjustment ability will hopefully take care of that. At any time you can get into the App, however with the shifter off, and tune it from there also.
Archer is a small company with a big product I feel and would recommend it to my riding buddies and in fact will. I bought this with my own money and as well snapped up the one that a nice fellow south of me said he had to sell. It is the Gen 1 and has the AA style batteries and their first shifter but for the price I will find one of my bottom feeding bike buddies that will take if off my hands.
If i run into any snags I will report back but in the short term I am one happy shifter.
